LAW RESTRICTING VOTING DRAWS CIVIL RIGHTS SUIT

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday signed a law imposing a series of voting restrictions and civil rights groups immediately filed suit to challenge its legality.

At a signing ceremony, Abbott, pictured, said the voting restrictions are intended to combat voter fraud, while critics contend they are aimed at making it harder for minorities who tend to back Democratic candidates to cast ballots.

It is the latest in numerous laws passed this year in Republican-led states creating new barriers to voting following Republican former president Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen due to voter fraud.

The Texas law makes it tougher to cast ballots through the mail by preventing officials from sending unsolicited mail-in ballot applications and adding ID requirements. It also prohibits drive-in and 24-hour voting, limits early voting, empowers partisan poll-watchers and restricts who can help voters requiring assistance because of disabilities or language barriers.